Combination seeder and fertilizer



Aug. 17, 1937. w. w. CARRIER ET AL 2,090,525

comammxou SEEDER AND FERTI-LIZER Filed Oct. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS GIFT/7') M (MR/ EDW/A/ 6150 MM ATTORNEY Aug. 17, 1937. w. w. CARRIER ET AL COMBINATION SEEDER AND FERTILIZER Filed 001;. 28, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Qm Q:

R a. a a.

INVENTORS WOR 7/0 H 6/7/7575 g1 0 a L 00 r ATTORNEY w. w. CARRIER ET AL 2,090,525

COMBINATION SEEDER AND FERTILIZER Filed Oct. 28. 1935 Aug. 17, 1937.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 III I Patented Aug. '17, 1937 PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION SEEDER. AND FERTILIZER Worthy w. Carrier and Edwin c. Leonard,

Minneapolis, Minn, assignors to Marvel Seeder Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application'october 28, 1935, Serial No. 47,038

This invention relates to farm or gardening equipment, and the primary object is to provide a manually propelled and controlled machine havmg an improved seeding mechanism and an improved fertilizer. distributor mechanism coopera tively associated and coordinated so as to result in a highly novel, efiicient, and practical planter and distributor machine. A further object is to provide in such a machine novel ground or field marker devices that will assist the operator in performing the planting operation in uniformly spaced and even rows. A further object is to provide an efiicient, practical, and comparatively simple power transmission for actuating the seeder and fertilizer units, with speed and capacity adjustments whereby the machine can be accurately controlled for various classes of work, and particularly for the planting of numerous varieties of garden seed such as beans, peas,

beets, cucumbers, carrots, parsley, spinach, turnips, and other vegetable and garden plants. Still further and more specific objects will be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to-the accompanying drawings, in-which: v

' Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the machine, as seen from the left, and with portions broken away for purpose of convenience in illustration.

Fig. 2 is a plan view-of the machine partially in section as on the irregular line 22 in Fig. 1.

- Fig, 3 is a sectional detail plan view of the fertilizer unit as shown in Fig. 2, but with the feeder plate in an adjusted position to more restrict the passage of material therethrough.

Fig, 4 is a sectional detail'elevation through part of the fertilizer unit, as on the'line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5.is an enlarged detail plan section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1, showing lower portion of the fertilizer unit in an adjusted position.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevation taken entirely through the fertilizer distributor unit,

and as seen when looking in a forwardly direction.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation through the seed feeding unit, as on the line l-'-l in Fig. 2. l

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation on the line 8-'-8 in Fi '7.

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation similar to the upper portion of Fig. 7, but showing the feed gate in an adjusted position.

Fig. 10 is a detail edge elevation of a cup member which is reversible on the feed shaft adjacent the seed disc.

- a rod 36 extending rearwardly to a lever 31.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the open side of the cup, as shown in Fig. 10. j

Figs. 12, 13, and 14, 15 are, respectively, side elevations of and diametrical sections through representative designs of seed feeding discs, 5 which with a plurality of similar discs arefinter Y changeably employed in the seeder unit depending upon the ty of seed to be planted.

Referring to t e drawings more particularly and by reference characters, I6 and I1 designate 10 a pair of laterally disposed'main frame bars which are supported at their forward ends upon a V ground wheel [8, and at their rear are provided with supplemental extensions 19 supported on a rear presser roller or packer wheel 20. The ex- 15 tension is preferably provided with a scraper blade 2| for removing earth which may tend to adhere to the arcuate or concave surface of the packer roller. 20.

A pusher or handle frame comprises a pair of 20 upwardly and. rearwardly extending beams 22, anchored-to the main frame as at 23, and braced with respect thereto by brace bars 24, the lower ends of which are secured to brackets 25 of the extensions I9. Cross bolts 23, and. 26, having 25 spacer sleeves upon them, rigidly connect the frame members referred to, and a similar cross bolt '21 rigidly connects the upper ends of the pusher beams 22, adjacent the handles 28 extending rearwardly-therefrom. It will be under- 30 stood that the pusher frame extends sufficiently rearward so that an operator, grasping the han- The front wheel I8 is rotatable on a shaft 29,

' in .turn rotatable in bearing brackets 30 of the main frame lG-ll. A clutch hub 3| is slidably keyed on the shaft 29, between the right bracket.

' 3n and the hub of wheel l8, which wheel hub has a cooperating clutch member 32 for receiving clutch hub 3|. A spring 33 tends to close the clutch members 31, 32, at which'time drivin contact is established between wheel l8 and shaft 29. The active or inactive driving relation is de- 45 termined, however, by a bell-crank shipper fork 34 which is fulcrumed at 35 to the bearing bracket 30 adjacent the clutch hub, and is actuated by This lever is fulcrumed on the frame beam l6 and is 5 controlled by a second rod 38 which extends up such that when the lever is pulled rearwardly to disengage clutch "-32, it will snap over dead center to form a releasable lock; and when the lever 31 ispushed forwardly it will unlock and permit the spring 33 toclose the clutch connection.

The right end of the shaft 29 has a sprocket gear 4. over which a sprocket chain 4i. This chain also passes over a sprocket pinion 42 of the fertilizer distributor unit, and over a sprocket gear 43 ofthe seeder unit so as to transmitpowertotheseunits. 'Itmavbenotedthat the sprocket gears 44 and 48 are of different sprocket sizes but are interchangeable on their is respective shafts so that high and low speeds can be effected without necessitating the use of additional mechanisms.

In order that the seeding may be done in even and uniformly spaced rows we provide a row marker in the form-of 1% pair of L-shaped marker rods 44 and 45 which are simultaneously but reversely adjusted depending aipon which side of the=machine the fleld is to be marked. Thus if the operator travelsback and forth over the fleld, planting the rows in succession, the marker on one side will be used while travelling in one direction, while the marker on the other side will The marker rods are respectively extended through brackets 46 and 41 in which they are adjustably slidable and secured byset screws 48.

The rods are slidably adjustable to allow for adjustments in the spacing'between the rows, as with some crops it is necessary that the distance between rows be greater or less than with other crop plantings.

46 and 41 are connected by a reversely curved link 49 in such amanner that when one of the marker legs is moved down into ground engagement the 50 other will be raised out of ground contact, and

vice versa. The outer arm of bracket 41 is connected by a spring ill. to the frame bar i1, and this spring exerts a forward pull on the bracket tending to raise the marker leg "and depress the marker leg 44. The outer depending arm of bracket. 4 is connected by a pull rod II to alever it forward, thus permitting the spring II,

to raise marker leg 45 and depress marker leg 4. I 65 Attention is now directed to the fertilizer distributor unit disclosedin Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive This unit is mounted approximately midway between the front and rear ends of the main frame proper, and comprisesamaincastingflsecured' between the main frame bars "-41 by short bolts I. At'its upperendthecastinghasanmstanding circular flange 4! in which is secured, by bolts 51, the lower end of a downwardly ta-' pered hopper l4. Rotatable within the flange It 75 and under'the lower edge of the hopper ll is a Inner arms of the brackets feed plate I! having a peripheral flange projecting upwardly about the lower edge of the hopper. The annularv position of the feed plate is adjustedby a short stud bolt projecting outwardlythrough anarcuate slot 6| inthecastingflange llandsecuredbyathumbnut 42. a g

Immediately below the feed plate is the casting 54 has a transverse slot or eway 4.8 through which the fertilizer material in the hopper 58 is discharged downwardly to the distributor shoes. Such material must also pass through the slot 64 in the feed plate IO, and this slot is so designed that by rotatably adjusting the feed plate the opening through slots II and 44 will be increased or decreased to controlthe volume flow of material to be discharged. Thus when adjusted as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6, only a small amount of material canbe released, but when adjusted as shown in Fig. 2 a relatively heavy discharge will result. It will also be noted that the slot 64, in preference to being. of straight diametrical design, is formed with two irregular nonradial portions connected by a short diagonal portion. The purpose of this design is to insure a more uniform or equal distribution of material to the opposite sides of the unit than wouldv central portion, and consequently the lateral flows will be'partially separated and more uniform as to volume. I

A corrugated or longitudinally fluted feed roll F5 is rotatably arranged in the passageway 63 and is driven by the pinion 42 to determine the rate of feed speed, and of course prevents any discharge of fertilizer material except when the machine is in motion. The material discharged by the feed roll 65 drops into two downwardly tapered passages 63a and 43b, separated by a partition 68, which partition is in the same plane with outer reinforcing 01 (Figs. 1, 4, and 5) of the casting 54.

The fertilizer material drops from passages 63a and flbintohollow angular legs OI and O! of a casting II. This casting is mounted for rotatable adjustment on a vertical axis so that the legs 6! and flcanbesecuredeither in'the transverse positions shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 6, or in an angular position as shown in Fig. 5.

The two 7 l4 and II are adimtably connected and secured together by bolts Ii which project downthroughbolt holes in a lower flange ofthecasting andinto'arcuateslotsll Pig.5)inanupperpiateilangeofthecasting1l.

rotateduntilthelegsflandtlareinthe gularposition desired withresilectto the tionoftravel-{at whichtimetheboltsaretighteneduptosecurethecastingsrigidlytog At their lower endsthevertical v onsof thelugstlandIareprovidedwithsunmllcast rings "which encircle the legsand upstandingarmsl4whichareslottedasatll,and

screwin thecastingllsotbatthe n ll'may verticallyadiustedwithrespecttothe legs dtldownthroughwhichthefertiliaer materialpasses. 'lheringsllareprovidedwith arcuateslotsl'l direcether rection and regardless of the position in which the casting 18 is adjusted. It will of course be understood that the shoes 19 function to create a shallow furrow in the ground as the machine progresses over the field, and the fertilizer material is discharged into the furrow or groove thus formed.

When planting certain types of crop it is found advantageous to distribute the fertilizer material at distances more remote from the plant than in other instances. In such cases, and where a maximum spacing between the fertilizer.

'20 lines-is desired, then the distributor legs 68 and 69 are disposed transversely or directly across the machine. Where it is desired, however, to place the fertilizer closer to the crop roots, then the casting 18 is adjusted on its vertical. axis so that the discharge legs 68 and 69 will be angularly' disposed as shown in Fig. 5, and at such time it becomes necessary .to readjust the furrow shoes 19 so that they will point forwardly, and at such time the transverse spacing between the. shoes will obviously be considerably less than when the legs 68 and 69 are in the transverse position.

From the foregoing description of the fer- I tilizer unit it will be seen that the feed plate 59 is adjustable to regulate the amount of fertilizer material to be discharged, the design of the slot 64 is such that it cooperates with the slot 63 and the feed roll 65 and partition 66 to insure a uniform distribution of material to both feed legs 68 and 69, and the feed roll 55 serves to ef-' 40 feet a uniform discharge of material'into the feed legs under the action of the pinion 42 driven by sprocket chain H from the front supporting wheel I8; and the feed roll 65 further serves to prevent any accidental -or surplus discharge of 45 material into the feed legs except when the-machine is moving forwardly under operating conditions. It will also be seen that the adjustment of the casting 18 with respect to casting 54, the adjustment of members 13 vertically with respectto the casting 18, and the rotatable adjustment of the shoes 19 with respect to the member13, are all coordinated and associated in such a manner that the fertilizer material can be supplied to the ground in any volume desired with a uniform speed of feed, and with an equal distribution ofmaterial to both sides of the plant row. The shoe and leg adjustments further .make it possible to deposit the fertilizer material at any depth and at any lateral spacing with reference to the crop row, which may be desired.

Attention is-now directed to the seed feeding or planting unit shown in Figs. 1, 2, and '1 to 15, inclusive. This unit is similar in many respects to the mechanism disclosed and claimed on our 5 copending application Serial No. 706,727, filed 7 706,127. This unit comprises a cast housing, designated generally by the numeral 88, and issecured-between the main frame beams I6 and I1 ;at its front and rear ends where it is provided witha pair of transversely-extending, integrally formed tubes 8I-82, which tubes form the previously noted spacer sleeves for-the bolts 23 and 26 respectively. Thus the unit is rigidly secured to the main frame while the integral portions 8[ and 82 cooperate with the bolts 23 and 26 to rigidly connect in spaced relations the frame beams I8 and IL The cast housing 88 includes a seed supply chamberor hopper 83 which is normally closed by a' cover 88 hinged as at 85. The housing 88 further includes a second chamber 86- through which extends a feed shaft 81 upon the,

right outer end of which is secured the sprocket gear 43 driven by the sprocket chain 4| from the ground wheel I8. The shaft 81 extends through a laterally projectingbearing 88' formed integrally with and at one side of the housing '88. This shaft 81, as shown particularly in Fig. 8, has a collar 89 against which the feed discs presently to be described are secured, and against which collar such discs maybe rigidly clamped without interfering with the rotary movement of the shaft 81 in the bearing 88. The seed in the hopper or upper chamber 83 escapes into the chamber 86 under the lower end edge of' agate 98 which is mounted for up and down sliding movement so as' to control the seed flow passing thereunder, and is adjustably secured by a wing .nut 9| of abolt 92 which projects from a lug of the housing and passes through a slot in the gate 98. The top of the chamber 86 is closed by a slide plate 93 having a transverse slot 9| up through which, from an adjacent housing portion, extends a short bolt 95 having a wing nut 96, which, when screwed down, will tighten the plate 93 in place. When it is desired, forinspection purposes or to clear the chamber of obstructions, the nut 96 is loosened to 'releasethe plate 93, whereupon the latter may be moved transversely on the bolt 95 to open the chamber.

Immediately under the plate 93 the chamber 86 is providedwith a cross piece 91, preferably -made of wood or fibre, and serving as asupport der the gate 98 and carry such individual sup-' plies up over the shaft 81 under the brush 98,"

and then drop them down into a delivery leg I8I, also formedas an integral part of the housing casting 88. This leg I8I is provided with'a vertically adjustable shoe I82 which is secured to the leg by a bolt I83 operating in a slot I8l,=and in which the bolt is adjustable upon being released to regulate the operative depth of the furrow forming shoe I82 in the ground. The shoe I82 is provided with an integral loop or strap portion which passes about the rear of the boot Rearwardly of the boot the housing 88 is provided with'a'depending lug I86 having a series of perforations I81 selectively engageable by a connecting pivot bolt I88 of acoverer I89, which isa casting having rearwardly converging lateral wings or side portionswhich rest with their own weight on the ground; and as the'machine moves forwardly these wings engage the loose earth covering the seed which has dropped into the furrow through the boot m. By selectively placing the bolt ill in the vertically spaced perforations III the action and eii'ect of this coverer member can be controlled.

s Asshowninl'igss'iandhtheseedfeeding' disc it is provided with four circumferentially spaced and comparatively large pockets III. This design of disc and arrangement of pockets is used in the planting of certain kinds of seed. It is obvious, however, that in planting other sizes'and be used. when the seed species being planted is very small, then a disc such as lib, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15. may be used, and in this case the pockets lllb are not only much smaller, but it will also be noted that the disc itself is considerably thinner. In order to provide a machine that is adaptable for all types of garden seed and under various planting conditions, it is desirable .to provide a series of discs, fifteen or twenty if necessary,allhavingdiiferentpatternsandadapted for different specific uses. It may be noted that the lower parts of the discs move rearwardly and upwardly in an arcuate recess or concavity formed in or .by the-slanting housing wall which'extends from the chamber 83 to the leg III to support the 33 downward seed flow and-thus facilitates the pickins up of the seed therefrom.

' It may here be explained that the'gate 00 has a very important function in connection with the operation of the seed feedin'g discs, inasmuch as it not only controls the flow. of seed from chamber 83 to chamber II, but also is" utilized to' affect the amount or seed passing'into the feed pockets ill as they travel upwardly through the seed supply. Thus, as shown in Fig.1, the gate a is in a relatively high positlomat which time the supply of grain or seed passing thereunder and into contact with the disc Ills relatively greater than for-instance as shown in Fig. 9,

where the gate Cl is in a lowered position. Con- -sequently, with the gate adjusted as shown in Fig. '1, the pockets-ill will pick up a greater number of seed particles than under the conditions exemplified in Fig. 9. where, because of the comparatively or thin grain fiow, the pockets will pick up a more limited number of seed particles. The disc II (08. "b. etc.) is secured upon the shaft .1 by a wing nut ii. be-

tween which and the disc isprovided a cup member Hi, and this cup may beplaced upon the shaft II with its open side directed inward, as indicated in Pig. 8. or with itsjopen'side directed outwardly, in which event the nut I I. would con tact directly with the hub iii formedintegrally with the cup. The cup serves several purposes. one of which is toclose the housing opening through which the disc'must pass when being placed upon the shaft and moved into operative position, and will maintain this closed position regardless of the thickness of disc being used.

one edge with a series. of circumferentially spaced, beveled surfaces ill, the purp eof which is to give a slight agitating action to the grain comingin contact therewith as it moves'down- .wardly'from the chamberllpand this agitation on both faces, numerals such as 1", "2", "3". and "4". as shown It will be-noted that the cup III is provided at.

has the eiiect of more uniformly distributing the grain into the various pockets Ill. Under certain conditions it is not desirable to produce this agitating effect, in which event the cup is merely reversed on the shaft 01 so that the beveled lub" faces Iii willproject outwardly and have-no effect on the grainbody within thechamber it.

The list vertical wall of the cup is provided. I

with diametrically opposed in Figs. 1 and 11 and these numerals can be conveniently provided by integral embossments when the cup is cast. These numerals are exposed to viewand are readably associated with '-an arrow ill (Fig. l) on the side of housing II,

to enable the operator to reset or determine the planting interval when it is desired to plant the seed at predetermined and corresponding intervals in all rowsfor purpose of cross checking or subsequent cross cultivation. .Under planting and uninterrupted travel conditions-this feature is of no substantial consequence. It is frequently found, however, that when planting a field the operator must stop and sometimes pull back the machine to avoid or remove obstructions to normal travel movement, and when such 'a contingency arises he can first determine the relative position of the seed disc with respect to the last seed deposit, and then regardless of what intervening adiustments or movements have been made is able. to reset the machine so that when tlfe planting operation is again started the work can be resumed without disturbing or changing the regularity ofthe seed plantings in either longitudinal or cross alignment.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and.

scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fully illustrated and described our. invention,

what we claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Ina planter.ahopper having a downwardly and forwardly sloping bottom, and an opening in therearpartofitsfrontwalhacasinghaving thetoppartofitsrearportionconnectedwith the bottom part of the front portion of the hopper, with saidparts being incommunication with eachotherthroughtheopening,aspoutdependingfromthetrontportionofthecssingandsaid casinghavingadownwardlyandforwardlysloping bottom which forms a continuation of the hopper-bottomand which extends to thespout. an intermediate portion of the bottom of the easing having 'a slight concavity therein. a seed wheelhavingpocketsinitsperipheryrotatably mountedinthecasingwithaportionofthewheel extending into the concavity. a downwardk and rearwardly sloping flange connected with the front-part of the hopper. a gateslidably arranged on the front face of'ihe flange for the opening, said casing'having a top opening extending rearwardiy to the gate. a tramversely adjustable slide cover for the casing opening ham its rearedgeabuttingandcloaimtightlyallinstthe. gate when the coveris in closing'position. and

mcansforrotatingthewheeltocausthepocketstopickupseedsinrearoi'theccncavityand d meltthemintothespout. v

zfnaplantenahoppenaplanterlenaieed per,arotatableshaftimn'naledtransverselyin thechamberandadaptedtointerchangeablyreind m notched seeddiscs selectively placedendwise on the draft, said M having a stop for engaging one side ofthe received disc, such discs upon being rotated by the shaft being operative to pick up seed in the chamber and discharge such seed into the planter leg, the feed chamber having a lateral circular opening concentric with the shaft and through which the interchangeable discs may be passed when' placed on or removed from the shaft, and means axially adjustable in and for closing the lateralchamber, opening, said means being operative I against the side of the received disc opposite from the stop to clamp the disc against the stop and thereby secure the disc for rotation with the shaft. l

3. In a planter,'a hopper, a planter leg, a feed chamber arranged to receive seed from the hopper, a rotatable shaft journaled transversely in the chamber and adapted to interchangeably receive and turn peripherally notched seed discsselectively placed endwise 'on the shaft, a stop on the shaft for contact by one side of 'the received disc, such discs upon being rotated by the shaft being operative to pick up seed in the chamber and discharge such seed into the planter leg, the feed chamber having a lateral circular opening concentric with the shaft and through which the interchangeable discs may be passed when placed on or removed from the shaft, means, axially adjustable on and rotatable with the shaft, for engaging in and closing the opening, and threaded means on the shaft for engaging the closing means to press the selected disc against said stop and thereby secure the disk for rotation with the shaft.

4. In a planter, a hopper, a planter leg, a feed chamber arranged to receive seed from'the hopper, a rotatable shaft journaled transversely inf the chamber and adapted to interchangeably re-'- ceive and turn peripherally notched seed discs- 40 selectively placed endwise on the shaft, a stop on the shaft for laterally engaging thereceived disc, such discs upon being rotated by the shaft being operative to pick up seed in the chamber and disa charge such seed into the planter leg, the feed 45 chamber having a lateral circular opening concentric with the shaft and through which the interchangeable discs may be passed when placed on;or removed from the shaft, means for closing the lateral chamber opening, said closing means being mounted on the shaft and including a cylindrical flange portion extending through the opening and with its outer surface in eifective closing contact with the chamber edge defining the circular opening therein, and a nut threaded on the shaft for engaging the closing means and pressing it and the received disc toward the shaft stop to thereby clamp the disc with respect to and for rotation with the shaft.

5. In a planter, a hopper, a planter leg, a feed chamber arranged to receive seed from the hopwill be closed when the closing means engages v the disc of any predetermined thickness.

6. In a planter, a housing having a seed hopher and a seed feed chamber connected therewith by a seed passageway defined in part by an inclined support portion down upon which seed may flow from the hopper to the chamber, a

,planter leg connected to the chamber, a rotatable feed member for-transferring seed in the chamher to the planter leg, an inclined, adjustable gate slidably secured in the housing for opening and closing movement with respect to said support to control the seed flow downwardly thereover, and a. cover plate for the feed chamber adjustable in a transverse direction and disposed with its rear edge adjacent to and in face contact with the gate.

, WORTHY W- CARRIER.

EDWIN C. LEONARD. 

